droolicious : cartoon network

Guide to Tonight's Star Wars Midnight-Madness Sales

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:27:00 GMT

You won't need to travel to a galaxy far, far away (groan), but you may need to sacrifice some precious sleep tonight if you want to be among the first in line to snag Hasbro's spankin'-new toys from the upcoming animated flick and eventual Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Heck, keep the kids awake and make a party of it -- you can sleep in while they play tomorrow.

If money's no object and collector fever has you in its death grip, you're in luck, because depending on which major retailer you hit tonight, there are multiple exclusive items to be claimed in addition to the action figures, vehicles, battle packs and other doo-dads, such as exclusive first-day-of-issue foil packages. (Oh, the nerdiness...)

Here we've got a complete roundup -- courtesy of the droolworthy Star Wars: The Clone Wars Official Hasbro Handbook (cover pictured above), available for download at starwars.hasbro.com:

Toys"R"Us: Select stores nationwide will open at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, with exclusive Star Wars: The Clone Wars products (including the STAP Attack Battle Pack and T.I.E. Fighter with T.I.E. Pilot Figure), giveaways, and special midnight-madness items. In Toys"R"Us' case, said item is an exclusive General Grievous figure that comes free with any action-figure or role-play purchase of $30 and above (one per customer while supplies last).

Wal-Mart: Head to your nearest 24-hour Super Center starting 12:01 a.m. on July 26 for exclusive items such as the Clone Trooper 501st Legion Join-Up Figure, the Lando Calrissian & Stormtrooper Comic 2-Pack, and the blue version of the Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet.

Target: Get your sleep and hit up Target stores the morning of July 26 for more exclusives, in this case the Yoda & Coruscant Guard Battle Pack, the Commander Fox Figure, and the red version of the Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet.

Hasbro notes that not all of these exclusives may be available on July 26, so if you get to the endcap and can't find that TIE Fighter you had your heart set on, keep checking back. The movie opens Aug. 15, and we're guessing these are just the beginning of the toy tie-ins.

CES 2008: Sirius Backseat TV

Chris Ford — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:27:00 GMT

Sirius Backseat TV is a product squarely focused on marketing to parents of young children. Working alongside your current Sirius Satellite Radio service, it's a system for getting children's programming to backseat video monitors.

The content is all for children - Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel and Cartoon Network Mobile - and seems like it would be something that might be worthwhile if you already have video monitors in the back seat. It costs $6.99/month (on top of your Sirius Radio subscription) and is available as a feature in some new Dogde, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles. A kit to install it into your current vehicle will be available in the second quarter of 2008.

Check out the product page at Sirius.com.

Video Game Round-Up: Licensed Fun for Everyone, Part 2

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:03:00 GMT

(Screenshot from D3's new Ed, Edd n Eddy: Scam of the Century)

Last week, I rounded up five new licensed video games aimed at kids; this week, part two of my feeble attempt to crawl out from beneath the landslide of licensed properties, with more tie-ins to movies, toys, TV shows and books still yet to come before the holidays. Hooray!

Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (Destination Software)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Aesthetically based as much on the animated spinoff as on Dr. Seuss' classic book (with Jim Carrey thankfully out of sight), this game puts you in the role of the Grinch -- meaning, yes, you use your DS skills to navigate obstacles as you sneak through Who houses, pilfer Who presents, and generally rob Whoville of its Christmas joy. Ho-ho-ho indeed! (It does eventually bring you 180 degrees toward good cheer.)
Who'll Dig It: Any kid whose heart is two sizes too small.

Go, Diego, Go! Safari Rescue (2K Play)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Like its Dora counterpart, this simple-but-fun game puts kids on a quest -- play as Diego to rescue the jungle animals that've had their identities mixed up by a magician's mischievous spells -- and incorporates some nifty features along the way. Among other tricks, you can snap photos with Click, call animals through the DS' microphone, and blow into the mic to ride a hot-air balloon.
Who'll Dig It: Diego fans. (Surprise!)

Ed, Edd n Eddy: Scam of the Century (D3)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Cartoon Network's trio of tricksters lose their trusty scammer's playbook to the neighborhood kids, spending the game's 13 levels tasting their own medicine while uncovering special items and abilities, unlocking minigames, and ultimately recovering the Book of Scams from the dreaded Captain MelonHead.
Who'll Dig It: Fans of the series, obviously (the loose, scribbly animation stays true to the toon's image), although you don't need to be an Ed-head to enjoy the mischief here.

Hot Wheels: Beat That! (Activision)
Available For: Xbox 360, PS2, DS, PC
The Deal: No surprises from the umpteenth Hot Wheels spinoff, although kids won't care: Race through five competitive modes, compete against friends via the multiplayer option, and get special codes (or, just visit the site above to grab 'em) to unlock bonus vehicles. Cool points, however, for recreating the feel of a bedroom track, complete with other toys to dodge and high-speed action beneath the floorboards.
Who'll Dig It: My 7-year-old is a good barometer for most any Hot Wheels game, so let's ask him: Loud noises? Fast cars? Cool-looking tracks? Gold. If you're serious about racing games, skip it.

Shrek: Ogres & Dronkeys (Activision)
Available For: DS
The Deal: In this Shrek-themed spin on the Nintendogs idea, you train and raise your ogre or dronkey offspring, play games (blocks, catch) to sharpen their reflexes and earn bonus items, and finally send the wee beasties into the world for adventures and interaction with other characters from the series.
Who'll Dig It: Any kid who's a fan of train-'em, play-'em-style gaming -- we parents already have our hands full with real monsters.

Video Game Round-Up: Licensed Fun for Everyone, Part 1

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:03:00 GMT

With the holidays upon us, the steady trickle of video games for kids has turned into a landslide. There's plenty of educational gaming to be found (watch this space...), but this week's focus is on licensed games -- those flashy, store-aisle eyeball-grabbers that work in characters and plotlines from kids' favorite toys, movies and TV shows. Consider it sort of like eating your dessert first and then working backward toward the veggies.

Avatar: The Burning Earth (THQ; screenshot above)
Available For: Wii, Xbox 360, PS2, DS, GBA
The Deal: Nick's animated hit about an on-the-run golden child with element-manipulating powers returns to the console; this time, you're playing as lead character Aang, as well as his friends, to hone your (literal) elemental skills and fend off a Fire Nation assault: air battles, multiplayer action and arena combat ensue. It's a fighting game, albeit a cartoonish, Zen-like one, so little kids may not be ready for it yet -- though they're sure to argue otherwise.
Who'll Dig It: Besides Babble's own Lisa Carver, fans of Avatar (the storyline, characters and Asian-style animation are straight out of season 2) and of martial-arts games in general.

Barbie as the Island Princess (Activision)
Available For: Wii, PS2, DS, GBA, PC
The Deal: A game based on a movie based on a toy based on a beauty ideal, Barbie as the Island Princess finds you playing as the shipwrecked Princess Rosella -- with the option to unlock new characters and costumes as you move toward your ultimate destination, the prince's castle. A multiplayer mode and 28 minigames, along with footage not found in the DVD, add welcome replay value.
Who'll Dig It: Barbie fans of all ages; it's also a fun way to bond outside of the castle playset with your little Barbie collector, particularly if neither of you is an avid gamer.

Ben 10: Protector of Earth (D3)
Available For: Wii, DS, PS2, PSP
The Deal: The shape-shifting 10-year-old star of Cartoon Network's animated smash (and real-life spinoff) must stop the evil Vilgax from stealing the source of his power. Play as Ben's five alien alter-egos; battle friends in combat mode; and unlock challenges as you fight to save the world. Or, you know, just watch your kids clobber their way through the thing.
Who'll Dig It: Ben 10 fans will love being able to man the Omnitrix (don't ask) and get into their hero's business. You might be underwhelmed by the basic fight-to-win action if you're not down with the series, but if that's the case, why are you playing?

Cars: Mater National (THQ)
Available For: Xbox 360, Wii, PS3, PS2, DS, GBA, PC
The Deal: Racing games are like crack for kids; throw in the characters from Pixar's Cars, along with Monsters, Inc.'s Mike and Sully (here as monster trucks) and you won't be able to pull 'em away from the set. This time, you're competing in the Mater-National world championship, vying for a shot against Lightning McQueen while veering off course in over 20 minigames and a wide-open playing field.
Who'll Dig It: See above. It doesn't blow away the original Cars game, but given how easy these things are to beat, it's a nice expansion to the series.

Dora Saves the Mermaids (2K Play)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Though it's clearly aimed at the littlest gamers, Dora's new adventure -- in which she and Boots team up for a fun, simple journey to restore a mermaid's magic crown -- has some cool features: You can use the stylus to sweep garbage off a beach, or call to dolphins through the DS' microphone. And with basic counting and puzzle-solving activities included, it's got some educational perks, too.
Who'll Dig It: Dora fans, of course.